When I was a teenager, the first part of God's word I memorized was Psalm twenty-three. Years have passed since that day, and Psalm twenty-three has strengthened my heart in different seasons of life. In the deserts, hardships, and challenges of life, it has been like a river for the desert of my soul, and also in good days, like a sweet song of thanksgiving.

Today I want to talk to you about Hasti's experience. Hasti, who was going through difficult days in her life, was in one of the weekly fellowship meetings where the message was about Psalm twenty-three, and this psalm was like a light that illuminated Hasti's life paths in the darkness. She received new life, fresh hope from God, and decided to memorize this psalm.

Hasti's husband, who is an elderly person and unfortunately has been suffering from addiction for years, one day when Hasti was busy reading and memorizing Psalm twenty-three at home, her husband asked her a question that greatly excited her. Her husband's question was: 'Can I memorize this psalm too?'

And this question was very heartwarming and hopeful for Hasti. I want to invite you to pray together for Hasti's husband, that God may touch his heart and give him new healing and completely transform his life, and finally, witnessing how and in what beautiful ways God's word takes root in hearts and also gives hope, creates a fresh desire to know God, is truly and genuinely encouraging and heartwarming.

Two wonderful testimonies of God's work in Iran's fellowships from the Psalms series and Psalm 91

A sister said:

When she was a child, she didn't feel secure in her family because her father was a very strict man.

Every time he came home from work, she would run away in fear and hide in a corner, and that corner had become her safe haven. But since she came to know Jesus Christ and surrendered her heart and life to Him, Jesus has become the true refuge of her life. She has surrendered her fears to Him, and the Lord has brought peace to her heart and thoughts.

And this week, through the message of Psalm 91, God once again reminds this sister to take full refuge in Him, because He will never leave her alone and is always with her.

In another fellowship, another sister said:

The night before their weekly fellowship, she was going through one of the hardest nights of her life and felt she was in deep darkness and severe pressure.

She went into her private time with God, cried, shared all her pains with God, and prayed: 'Father, speak to me tomorrow through the weekly fellowship and show me what I should do in this situation, where I have no way out and no hope.'

The next day, in the weekly fellowship, the Lord spoke to her precisely through the message of Psalm 91, and when she heard that the Lord is a refuge, a hiding place, and a strong fortress, and that she should only trust in Him, it was as if water was poured on the fire of her heart, and all her worries, despair, fear, and pains subsided, giving way to the peace and joy of the Lord.

The Lord once again reminds her that in every situation, He is her safe haven and will never leave her alone.

Thanks be to the living word of God.

I want to share with you a testimony from a weekly fellowship that reached me from Iran just recently.

From the series of Psalms, Negin joins their weekly fellowship.

She had been going there for a while. She tells Ra'na, "I wish I had believed in Jesus Christ sooner. I feel like I've missed out on so much."

Ra'na encourages her, strengthens her. She says, "It's never too late for God."

Then, that week, Brother Behrang speaks in line with Psalm 113.

Where God lifts up the fallen, raises the needy from the dust, and seats them with princes.

Upon hearing this message, Negin and the members of the weekly fellowship were greatly strengthened.

After the message concluded, Ra'na shares her own story, saying: "I too was living in the garbage of this world. I was in darkness, and God also lifted me up."

And through their fellowship, hearing God's word together, the stories of each member of that house church and that fellowship, how much it strengthened one another.

Gathering together, hearing God's word, and hearing their stories of how God, one by one, lifted these dear ones from darkness and from falling in the past, and how much that fellowship strengthened each of them.

From hearing God's word, from hearing their stories of how powerful God is and what new hope He bestowed upon all of them once again.

A testimony I heard a few days ago from the heart of Iran, which was very edifying for me, from dear Sara. Sara remembers one of the believers in another city and says: I felt in my heart that in these days I could help this elderly mother and father, prepare food for them, and send it to them. When Sara contacts this mother, the mother says with great surprise and joy: This morning I prayed in the presence of the Heavenly Father, and we had nothing left in my house, and God sent you to us. This testimony was very encouraging for me, that in these days when our communication is cut off, in these days when we are not with our loved ones, but thanks to God who, with His paternal heart, thinks of the needs of our loved ones, and thanks to the believers who are the hands of God in these days, they are light and salt, and by obeying God, they take practical steps and love one another.

One day, we were gathered at a friend's house; a simple and intimate fellowship.

In the midst of that gathering, the host's daughter, a 17-year-old girl, came up to me and said she wanted to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ.

The two of us went and sat in a corner. It wasn't a formal meeting, nor were there any heavy discussions. Very simply and ordinarily, I told her about God's love; about salvation, about hope, and about the good news of the Gospel. It was completely clear that her heart was open and she was listening carefully.

That very night, right there, with eagerness, she gave her heart to Christ.

The peace that settled on her face was something that couldn't be easily overlooked.

For me, seeing that moment was a great blessing; a living reminder that God still touches hearts and saves.

I give all glory and majesty to the Lord Jesus Christ, because this is His work, not ours.

These days, a message reached me from inside Iran after the days of war. He had believed in Christ for some time, but due to the bad economic conditions, the war, and the events happening in Iran, he wasn't feeling well. He said: "I was very heartbroken. I was upset with God. Even though I believed in Jesus Christ, I still said: 'Why are things like this? Why are the economic conditions, why are my country's conditions like this? What kind of situation is this? Where are You, Lord?' He said: 'Even though I went to the Word less, prayed less, but for several weeks, I hadn't attended the weekly fellowship at all.' Until one of the people from the fellowship called me again and said: 'So why aren't you coming?' He said: 'He lovingly invited me again, and I went. Even though my situation wasn't very good, I said I'd go.' He said: 'When I went and entered that house again, when I saw us worshipping, those worship sessions refreshed me again.' Until it came to the part where someone comes and shares the message of God's Word with us. We started listening to that week's message. He said: 'I saw that God was speaking to me through that message, saying: 'Oh, you who say God has abandoned you, no! God has not abandoned you. God is with you. God has not forgotten you.'' That message conveyed this to him, and he said his spirit was refreshed there, and he shared this with others who were there. He said: 'When I was returning, I had a different feeling altogether. Even though my circumstances hadn't changed, my friendship and relationship with God were refreshed again.' I wanted to share this blessing of testimony with you, how God is refreshing the hearts of dear ones inside Iran, who are heartbroken, by gathering together through fellowship, prayer, and hearing God's message these days.

Today I heard a testimony that I really wanted to share with you.

A few hours ago, during a phone call with Reza, I learned that he had been struggling with unemployment for 40 days. In Iran’s difficult economic situation, with the ongoing war and instability, he had been going through very hard days.

In their weekly fellowship group, when Reza shared his pain and the others also opened up about the different hardships they were facing, they decided to pray more seriously. Miraculously, just 24 hours later, Reza found a job after 40 days of unemployment!.

When the group gathered again for their weekly meeting and Reza shared the news with thanksgiving, something beautiful happened: 3 new people had joined the group that day. As they witnessed how this community faced difficulties together, the peace that filled the place, and the honesty with which everyone shared their pains with one another and with God, these three new people said:

“We want to give our hearts to this God and worship the God you worship.”

That day, all three put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Truly, what power testimonies have — and how powerful prayer is!

I want to close with these verses from Philippians 4:6-7:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Amen.

In recent days, Iman, who had lost touch with one of his friends due to an internet outage, received a call from his friend when the internet reconnected. His friend told him that he was very worried and discouraged. As they spoke, Iman began to pray for his friend, sometimes in silence and sometimes with just a few short words... During that prayer, God touched his friend's heart and reminded him that "I (God) am a source of comfort for the wounded and heartbroken..."
\r\nA while later, Iman's friend felt God was asking him—despite severe security conditions—to travel to another city to bring some Gospels and Bibles to people he knew. On this journey, he remembered a friend in another city who had come to faith some time ago but didn't have a Bible. He went to find him and personally give him a copy of God's Word. That person was deeply moved, so much so that he could hardly believe that in these difficult days, someone would remember him and travel this distance just to give him this gift and visit him!
\r\nDo you see, friends? God's hope and work are transmitted and continue like a chain! It started with Iman, transferred to his friend, and then to another person! Let's look around us... Today, who do you think are around us who might find comfort and have their lives completely changed by a simple prayer, by receiving a Gospel, or by hearing about the true God?
\r\nLet's not miss this opportunity and talk to others about the living God.

\r\n

In northern Iran, a couple whose child became severely ill, not for a day or two, but for a long time, with frequent trips to the hospital, they were exhausted, tired, facing difficult financial conditions, and didn't know what to do. At this time, this person came to faith in Jesus Christ; her name is Narges. When Narges came to faith in Jesus Christ, she told her husband about her faith, but her husband showed no interest. Narges joined a fellowship. Every week she went to the weekly fellowship. There she opened her heart and said, 'My conditions are difficult, my child is ill,' and everyone there prayed for her. But they told her something: 'You too can pray in the name of Jesus Christ. You too have power in the name of Christ.' And even though she had just come to faith, she continued to pray, she kept praying. She prayed on the way from home to the hospital. Her husband mocked her, sometimes getting frustrated. He said, 'Where is God? If there was a God, we wouldn't be in this financial situation, our child wouldn't be sick.' But Narges faithfully continued to pray. The last time they were going to the hospital, on the way, her husband parked the car and showed respect. Things were changing. God was working. Even in her husband. Narges's husband, respectfully, when Narges's prayer finished, they moved towards the hospital. When they entered the hospital, they were faced with a scene. They were told, 'You can discharge your child today. There are no more problems.' But there was a problem. They didn't have money to pay for the settlement. They had insurance, but the insurance they had didn't cover all the costs, and it was a very large amount. There were other people in the accounting line. The only family who didn't pay any money, and whose accountant said 'you don't need to pay anything,' was this family. There, the husband, seeing this, gave his life to Jesus Christ, and today all three of them are connected to the weekly fellowship. God is good, and He hears and acts.